A great book in the same vein is: Understanding UNIX/Linux-Programming by Bruce Molay.[0]

It also delves into the basic tools and then writes them from scratch. I found it quite inspiring as to where to spend time while learning UNIX.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-UNIX-LINUX-Programming-...

This is the sort of approach that the 'Understanding Unix/Linux Programming' [1] book takes - building common unix utilities in order to introduce systems programming concepts. IMO, it's a good starter for meatier material in Richard Stevens books.

For those interested in this sort of thing, Harvard Extension School offers a course based off of the 'Understanding Unix/Linux Programming' text taught by the author (http://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~lib215/). I took it a few years ago and found it worthwhile...

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-UNIX-LINUX-Programming-P...

"Understanding Unix/Linux Programming: A Guide to Theory and Practice" by Bruce Molay does a wonderful job of diving into the workings of the Linux kernel without any prerequisite knowledge beyond an understanding of C. This book focuses on deconstructing common commands such as "tail" and "who" and explaining almost line-by-line how they work and interact with the rest of the system.

It appears to be a bit expensive at the moment, but it's commonly used as a textbook, so there's a plentiful used market for it.

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-UNIX-LINUX-Programming-P...